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Monday, June 2, 2014

We all strive
to be healthy, full of vitality, and happy.
And in addition to all the daily routines we’ve adopted to ensure such
health, we must also consider our homes and communities and what we do to
promote the use eco-friendly materials. The easiest way to tackle this is
through our DIY improvement projects. While there are many non-eco friendly
materials out there in the market today, conversely, there are also many
eco-friendly materials out there that work just as well as their non-eco
friendly counterparts, if not better.

These
eco-friendly materials often include hemp, bamboo, organic cotton, cardboard
that has been recycled, cork, recycled glass, recycled plastic, and one of
everyone’s favorites – used pallets. While many of these items might seem
strange to use at first in terms of DIY improvement projects, many who start using
them actually prefer them once they become accustomed. These eco-friendly
versions are healthy to use, don't make anyone sick, and actually look pretty
amazing when used for a variety of different DIY improvement projects since
they incorporate an entirely different look to every project that is extremely
unique and very pretty.

In terms of
using hemp, many people are jumping to use this eco-friendly material because
it is biodegradable and renewable. It is extremely strong as well as very versatile.
The best thing about hemp is that it can be used as rope, paper, and even fuel!
Another eco-friendly material that has been gaining in popularity as of late is
cork. Many people are choosing to use cork in their DIY improvement projects
because it can truly create spectacular products such as unique and trendy
totes, as a wall covering, as a floor covering, etc. Corks integrate an
interesting looking design concept into an eco-friendly exercise on
sustainability. Recycled glass is also becoming the go-to material for a
variety of eco-friendly items such as countertops, jewelry, new cups, new
plates, etc. There is just so much to be done with utilizing glass in DIY
improvement projects!

A favorite of
many folks lately has been the use of pallets in craft and do it yourself
projects. However you may want to watch out for these possible contaminants
related to the different types of wood used to make pallets before you put on
your weekend warrior regalia.

Pressure
treated and fumigated wood

Some pallet
manufacturers use pressure to force chemicals like formaldehyde into the wood
to prevent decay and pest infestation. However, you may not want to use these
chemical-treated pallets inside your house, for this reason. Also, fumigated
wood is treated with pesticides, which also isn’t great from a health
standpoint.

There are
plenty of pallets that are not made from pressure treated or fumigated wood.

If you aren’t
sure how to identify pressure-treated wood, one way to identify the pallets you
may want to avoid using in home decor and furniture projects, is to look for
the IPPC logo found on most pallets. Near this logo, if you find:

HT – This
means the pallet was possibly heat treated with harmful chemicals.

MB – This
indicates that the pallet was fumigated with a toxic pesticide, methyl bromide.
You may see this mark on some older pallets, as this process is currently not
used by most pallet manufacturers.

Contamination

You also may
want to consider the source of your pallets (however companies tend to reuse
pallets, so this may be hard to determine) and what types of contamination your
pallets may have been exposed to. Things such as water, mold, vermin, insects,
chemicals, and even bacteria such as E. coli and Listeria have been found on
pallets.

If you are
unsure, you can always do a thorough cleaning of the wood and paint a couple
coats of clear coat to seal in any possible contaminants.